The subject invention is directed toward the art of dental devices and appliances and, more particularly, to articles for facilitating the manufacture or formation of dental implant attachment structures.
During the formation of support structure for mounting or insertion in dental implant anchoring means for the purpose of holding prosthetic teeth, it is generally required to form a precise pattern of the necessary support structure. The pattern is then used for direct or indirect molding of the support structure in high strength material.
The process of forming the patterns is generally quite difficult and time consuming and involves fabricating support bar assemblies that join between the screws or pins which extend outwardly of the gum tissue from the anchors or attachment elements implanted in the alveolar bone. Typically, the pattern for the support bar assembly is formed by positioning sleeves on each of the screws and then connecting the support bar patterns between adjacent sleeves and joining the ends of the bars to the associated sleeves with wax or a suitable adhesive. As can be appreciated, the bars must each be individually cut to a precise length and then joined to the sleeves. It is very difficult and time consuming to produce good transition joints between the bar ends and the associated sleeves.